Whenever I crave for something quick and easy, this is my go-to recipe and my all time favorite snack. I love everything about this recipe! It’s soft, spongy and has a wonderful flavor. Instant Khaman Dhokla is the most simple and easiest recipe that you will ever make.

During my college days, instant khaman dhokla was my very first recipe that I learnt in my F&B class. Since then, it has been by far one of my favorite appetizer recipe and and I have been entertaining my family and friends for years.

This recipe has been adapted from the great master cook of our times -Tarla Dalal cookbook.

What is Khaman Dhokla?

I have named my recipe as Khaman dhokla but they are both very different. Both the varieties originates from the Indian state of Gujarat (western state of India).

Khaman is the instant one. It’s made with either soaked chana dal or chickpea flour.

Dhokla preparation requires fermentation. The fermented batter is made with rice and chana dal. Rice and chana dal are soaked overnight. The mixture is later formed into a paste and is fermented overnight. After the fermented time, it is mixed with other ingredients to make a tasty snack.

Both the varieties are equally relished. Whether it is Dhokla or Khaman – they both make a delicious healthy snack!

Why have I named my recipe as Khaman Dhokla?

Because, this recipe is something in-between of Khaman and Dhokla. It uses

chickpea flour (besan) just like khaman

and is ‘instantly’ fermented with eno just like Dhokla.

That’s why it is named as Khaman Dhokla.

Now onto the recipe!

Many people coy away from making khaman dhokla because it doesn’t turn spongy. In this post I have covered all the tips and ticks that I have learnt over the years to a fail-proof instant khaman dhokla recipe.

Start with a fresh batch of eno. Open pack may result in flat dhoklas.

A simple trick to a fluffy khaman – beat the batter well. The more you beat the batter, more air is incorporated in the batter, resulting in soft-spongy khaman. Just remember beat the batter before adding eno.

After adding Eno, don’t let the batter sit for a long while. Steam it right away.

Substitutes!

Eno can be substituted with 1 teaspoon Baking powder.

Same way citric acid can be substituted for lemon juice. THOUGH CITRIC ACID WORKS THE BEST, IT GIVES GREAT RESULTS.

I have experimented with lemon juice and the one that gave me good results is citric acid and Eno combo. Eno and citric acid together creates a fizzy reaction which is very important for soft and fluffy khaman. Lemon juice fails to do that.

Follow these basic tricks properly and you are on your way to the most spongy dhokla.

For perfect fluffy pieces – Don’t press the knife down, rather cut it the way we cut a cake. Holding a knife insert the pointy side of the knife first in the Khaman, lift the knife a little and again cut gently, keep repeating till all the pieces are cut.

Below I have mentioned two ways of making dhokla – the traditional way and the microwave method.

For a microwavable recipe, follow the step by step recipe below. Pour the batter in a microwavable bowl and steam for 3-4 minutes (or may take 5-6 minutes depending on the microwave). Remove from microwave, insert a toothpick to check if done, cut into pieces, pour the tempering and enjoy!!

To get the same taste what we get in local shops – water mixed with sugar is added to cooked Khaman dhokla. Serve it hot withgreen chutneyortamarind chutney.

If you happen to make this recipe, please leave me a commentor share your pics on with me on Facebook. I would love to see your creation and would be happy to answer any questions. Cheers!

Assemble all the ingredients. Please read all the tips above before proceeding.

In a big bowl add besan, sooji, hing, salt and sugar. You can store this mix in an airtight container and when ready mix in the ingredients mentioned under - "wet ingredients".

De -seed green chilies. Using a motor pestle pound chilies and ginger....

To a fine paste.

Add oil, citric acid, freshly grounded green chili and ginger paste and salt. Add water and mix until well blended. Beat the dhokla batter couple of times to incorporate air into it. This is result into fluffy and light dhokla. This has to be done before adding eno.

Time to instantly ferment the batter by adding eno. Add eno and whisk the batter until it is well blended. Batter will become airy and frothy. As shown in the picture batter should be of a thick dropping consistency.

Grease a pan in which khaman will be steamed. Pan should almost be double in size as the batter will rise up while steaming. In a large vessel fill water and lay a channi/strainer at the base. Pour batter in that greased pan and place it inside the vessel containing hot boiling water and over the strainer.

Cover it with a lid and steam khaman for about 15- 20 minutes.

Khaman is cooked and all puffed up.

Insert a toothpick to check if khaman is properly cooked. It should come out clean. Allow it to cool down for 30 minutes. Insert a knife around the edges to loosen up Khaman. Flip it over onto a plate.

Perfectly steamed Khaman is ready for tempering.

Using a sharp knife cut khaman into pieces. Don't press the knife down rather cut it the way we cut a cake.

Holding a knife insert the pointy side of the knife first in the Khaman, lift it a little and again cut gently, keep repeating till all the pieces are cut. This way you will get perfect fluffy pieces.

MICROWAVE DHOKLA

Pour batter in a greased microwave bowl. Cook for 3-4 minutes (or may take 5-6 minutes depending on the microwave).

Take it out - Insert a toothpick to check for doneness, if the toothpick comes out with some batter then return it back into the microwave for 30 seconds.

Allow it to cool...

Cut into squares and prepare tempering.

FOR TEMPERING

In a pan heat oil, add green chilies and let it splutter on a low flame. Don't fry green chilies on a high flame as they may explode leaving a mess. Add curry leaves and when they are crisp, add sugar and water. Mix it well.

Pour this hot mixture over steamed khaman.

Enjoy this delicious and nutritious Gujrati snack with chutney of your choice.

226 Responses

I made this recipe, flavour was great. Only problem i had was dhokla doubled in size and then in the middle it dropped back down but the sides were nice and fluffy. Any advice or any idea why this could have happened? Your dhokla once steamed is nice and flat, mine domed like when you put a cake in the oven?

Hi Ruching I tried the recipe and quantities step by step. But even after 15-20 mins or 30 mins the batter had not dried up nor the dhokla rise up. It appeared soggy and sticky. What could be the problem?

Sticky dhokla means the batter was either under-cooked or too much liquid was added to the batter. If the flame (at which it was cooked) was too low, than dhokla will require extra time to steam. Hope that helps.

Ultimate recipe of Dhokla. I tried it once again. Result was perfect Khaman dhokla. In my last try i added citric acid almost double than requirement. This time dhokla was fluffy soft spongy Juicy. In short perfect . Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe.

Hello Ruchi ,
I am so thankful to you for sharing this receipe. I made the dhokla and it turned up as never before. Tasty,spoungy, and full if enjoyment. Thanks a lot. Eager to see ur next wonderfull receipe.

thank you dear for an awesome recipe, i tried in India but failed so always bought from shop. but here in america its not possible…m so glad i found you 🙂 for the first time it came out so good.
can you tell me how to make it yellow, mine came out pale light yellow and also do you have recipe without oil if we want to keep it healthy

Dear Ruchi, could you please confirm the size of the cup you use for measuring besan, water etc.? Measuring cups sizes vary between India, US and the UK. I am looking forward to trying your recipe. I specifically bought citric acid yesterday after reading the great reviews of your recipe. It took a lot of hunting down to find it and I am looking forward to making the recipe after hearing from you.

Hi Ruchi,
Thanks for the clarification and apologies for conveying my thanks this late. The recipe turned out well but was not as airy, light and tall as in your pictures. I wonder why;I followed it to a T. I took pictures (back in Sept) but don’t see a way to post them. Thanks for generously giving your time to readers.

Oh my God best dhokla
Every time we go india and we eat dhokla, we always say why ours don’t come out like theirs
But today I tried your recipe and wow everyone loved it.
Thank you for sharing. God bless you.

I tried this receipe now…really dhokla was soft and fluffy.. i was literally jumoing ..Thank you for sharing this failproof..i used to try receipes reading various websites …acciendently came across yours ..now looking fkrward to check all your receipes…i wanna to know any failproof receipe for batura,naan and stufged dal baati 🙂

Hi, I tried the recipe today. Unfortunately, the dhokla didn’t rise as expected. I placed it in a covered container (spice box) and then covered it again. Should it be steamed with just one cover. Please let me know – or if you have any other suggestions. I would like to try this recipe again.
Thanks.
Rati

Sorry to hear about that Rati. The extra cover that you placed on the box is what made the dhokla fail. You need to cover steaming dhokla just one lid. Try again and I am sure you will nail it this time.

Citric acid can be substituted for lemon juice but the one that gave me great results is the Eno and citric acid combo. Eno and citric acid together creates a fizzy reaction which is very important for soft and fluffy khaman. But feel free to give lemon juice a try.

HI Ruchi. My husband loves khaman and I have been searching for the perfect recipe. I think I hit the jackpot here. I tried it last week and it was so awesome I made it for him for his Father’s Day breakfast with kids. He loved it. I cannot believe how simple yet delicious this recipe is. It is now going to become my go to recipe as well. Thank you for that! I made 2 minor changes- I split it into 2 smaller trays for practical purposes and I omitted the water and sugar in tempering. I’m so glad I found your site. I hope you don’t mind me asking lots of questions. 😊

Hi Ruchi – I’m from South Africa. I always buy dhokla from a vegetatian shop here because I love it. I decided to make it myself and used your recipe . Thanks a million I now make my own dhokla in a flash. I take it to work and share with my friends as well. Shukran for awesome recipe !

Hi ruchi… After many failed attempts of making dhokla with different recipes and ingredients adopted from various sources…. I could finally make super soft and delicious dhokla…. All thanks to u… U helped me make my favourite perfect dhokla

Citric acid can be substituted for lemon juice but the one that gave me great results is the Eno and citric acid combo. Eno and citric acid together creates a fizzy reaction which is very important for soft and fluffy khaman. But feel free to give it a try.

Hi there, if a huge quantity to be made, say 5 cups,how do we do it, since after adding eno,batter cant sit for long time.
Also how can I not let it dry, becoz ill be making it afternoon,then use it for party at night. Please wdvise

From what you have mentioned it looks like dhokla didn’t get cooked in the desired time. How long did you steam your dhokla?
If extra water was added to the batter, this could be other reason for under cooked dhokla.

Dhoklas were steamed for 20 mins also I had inserted a tooth pick before switching off the flame it came out clean. Water m not sure but the batter was of flowing consistency. Will try again and let you know. Thank you for this wonderful blog and delicious recipes.

Harpreet, double the quantity of ingredients. Please visit the bottom of ingredient list and under there you will find ” Change serving size”. Change that to 8 serving and it will calculate the recipe for you.
Thanks!

Hello, I am Sukaina from Pakistan. I tried your recipe and it turned out amazing. My dhoklas were super soft and delicious.First time in my life I was able to make super soft dhoklas. Thanks a lot. Love from Pakistan.

Hi ruchi I tried your recipe for the first time but sorry to say my dhokla was very dry..don’t know why?I followed all the steps including whisking it properlyhelp me out so that I can repeat it for better

Thankssssss a ton…. after trying soo many recipes of dhokla….i’ve got d Final perfect recipe of it from ur blog….which i came across incidentally…after every failed attempt to get d taste dat we get in d market..dis recipe is truely a no fail recipe and as u said it well…citric acid does all d difference…and works perfectly to get dat market like taste n texture….i m so happy to have come across ur blog….thanks again…👍😛

Hi the recipe luks nice, but i have a query just 3/4th cup of water will be enough to soak the dhokla as on the shops they use much more quantity of water and dhokla is quite wetter. Will less quantity of water leave the dhokla dry??

Hi my dokla when I put the toothpick is coming out stick to the pick? What do I do? And what did I do wrong. I use 1 cup diluted yogurt instead of water and lemon instead of citrus side didn’t have citrus

Sorry to hear that the recipe didn’t work for you.
1. Adding yogurt is absolutely fine unless it had lumps in it.
2. Sticky dhokla means the batter was under-cooked. You need to let it steam a bit longer.
3. If too much liquid was added to the batter, dhokla will turn out sticky and messy.
Hope that helps.

I am trying the dhokla, but unfortunately the current went out after i made the batter(haven’t added suji, sugar, lemon, oil and eno yet). Will the delay after preparing the batter in anyway affect the results?

Thanks for stopping by Zaynab! It’s clearly mentioned in my post – Citric acid can be substituted for lemon juice. THOUGH CITRIC ACID WORKS THE BEST, IT GIVES GREAT RESULTS. I have experimented with lemon juice and the one that gave me good results is citric acid and Eno combo. Eno and citric acid together creates a fizzy reaction which is very important for soft and fluffy khaman. Lemon juice fails to do that.

Hi ruchi
I tried this recipe today and the dhokla comes out awesome it was very spongy.i think citric acid works best.infact i made few dhoklas in idli mould and they are looking lovely(dhokla idli😃).thanks once again

i have tried to make dhokla many time with other recipes but never get sponginess in it..so i want to try out this time with your recipe as your dhokla looks awsome..but i am unable to get citric acid in liquid form, plzzz tel me can i use powder form of citric acid??will it work???

Made your recipe exactly as mentioned and measured out the ingredients using measuring spoons and cups but there were two issues. Firstly the dhokla was not moist and fluffy and secondly it was hard to swallow and kept getting stuck in the throat. So I added lots more sugar water tadka but that ended up making the dhokla too wet and soggy. What could be the reason for these issues?

Sorry to hear that KC. This is a fail proof Tarla Dalal recipe and I myself have tried it many times. There are couple of reasons why this happens-
1. Was the batter sitting for too long before steaming. If so, then sooji will soak up moisture and the end result will a be thick and dense dhokla?
2. After adding Eno, dhokla needs to be steamed right away otherwise it will not be spongy.
3. If you overcooked it than it will turn hard.
Hope this answers your query!

Hi Ruchi,
Thank you so much for yummy instant Dhokla recipe. I had tried to make Dhoklas in the past but could never ever get it perfect but I followed your recipe and wow…. it worked like a magic charm.They turned out so yummy that I had to make it again on the same day.You are simply too good a cook and a good teacher too! You take lot of efforts to make it easy for your readers! God Bless you!

Hi ruchi, I’ve tried ur dhokla recipe and it turned out very very nice, soft and fluffy. I wanna show u the PIC but donno how to upload the PIC. Anywezz let me tell u that u r a grt cook. Thanks for the recipe. Looking fwd to trying new recipes. :):):)

Thanks for the wonderful feedback Hiral. Glad you and your family liked the recipe. Mustard seeds are mentioned in the recipe. Shredded coconut and cilantro were used for garnish (an impromptu idea 😉 ) so missed on that. Will update that in the recipe.

Hey Ruchi, you are a great and accomplished cook and through pics you make each and every recipe look so easy. Today I made your dhokla recipe and it turned out superb!! It is a A+ recipe. I have tried many of your recipes and they have come out real good. Thanks for sharing with us.

Hi, thanks for the receipe.. Love the flavour but my dhokla didnt turned as fluffy n spongy. Top layer was spongy but last layer was all chunky and thick!!. What could be reason for that. Kindly suggest. Thanks.

Sorry to hear that Divya. This is a fail proof Tarla Dalal recipe and I myself have tried it many times. There are couple of reasons why this happens-
1. Was the batter sitting for too long before steaming. If so, then sooji will soak up moisture and the end result will a be thick and sticky dhokla?
2. Was the dhokla removed earlier than the recommended time?
3. Dhokla will turn sticky and gooey if the batter has less oil or too much water in it. Hope I have answered all your questions.

Thanks for stopping by Anil. Adding citric acid and Eno to the batter gives great results. I have been trying this recipe for many years and this is my fail proof recipe from Tarla Dalal cookbook. Do give it a try!!

Love this recipe of your. I have tried it couple of times and everytime I get better and better at this. Now its no tension in making khaman, I am getting perfect at this. All thanks to you Ruchi. You recipes are a A+ for me!

I am so glad and feel so good that have finally found a blog that guide you from start to finish. When to add what is my greatest dilemma. Khaman is my all time favorite and I tried this recipe and just loved it. Mine came out perfect with little less salt. Was covered up with chutney. Perfect recipe and thank you so much. You are a savior!!

I made this!! Fluffy and tasty. I tried the cooker one and it came out really good. I link the honesty in your recipes. At points you have mentioned the recipe source that is worth applauding! I read your scezhuan sauce recipe and you mentioned the source. Great going!! Will be following you.

That’s so sweet of you Laksha! Thanks for trying out the recipe and I am glad to hear that it turned out great for you. If a recipe is adapted or taken from a source I make it a point to mention the author. Thanks for noticing that and your kind words. 🙂

Went through all your comments before getting my hands on this recipe and Ruchi this one is a ROCKSTAR! Truly, made microwave version and cooked it for 4.5 minutes and mine came out so fluffy. Very well explained and before adding Eno I whisked it with a beater.Your pictures made my work so much easier. Thanks dear for maintaining such a wonderful blog.

Following you from FB. Saw your dhoklas and couldn’t stop myself from trying it out. Tried the micro as well as the stove method. My stove top was more fluffier than the microwave one. Maybe my micro power was on 75% and I overcooked it so it turned a bit burned orangish from inside. Tasted yummy though. Now coming onto the stove method 5 stars for that. Yummy and perfectly moist. Thanks for sharing Ruchi. Love your presentation.

Thanks for trying out the recipe Kamana! Overcooking of dhokla in microwave will result in dry burnt patches. Keep the power on 100% and cook for only 2-3 minutes. Glad to hear that you liked the cook top version. 🙂

Saw your post on Facebook group and after reading through the whole recipe I tried this recipe. One word DELICIOUS AND TOO TOO GOOD. My batter was not as airy as yours (maybe old eno) but it was fluffy and soft. Taste was very good. family loved it. I am going to make it again with fresh batch of eno. Thanks for sharing.

Following you from a facebook group. Tried this recipe, and yipeee!! it was awesome. Mine fluffed a little less as I skipped adding baking powder. Next time will try that too. But a perfect and truly market kind of recipe. Love it. Thanks Ruchi

My mom loves your website. I guess she has explored almost all of your recipes. She admires your work and inspire me daily to cook something from your site. I chose the one with the least work and tried khaman dhokla. It was too tooo good. It came out very fluffy just like yours and very tasty. Now I like you more and don’t like you. Like you for a successful recipe and my mom thinks that I can cook and don’t like you because NOW I HAVE TO COOK MORE OFTEN. 🙁 Sorry about that. I too admire your hard work.

Thanks you for stopping by Suhana. Your comment made me smile from ear to ear. Both your complaint and compliment accepted with a big smile. 🙂 I am glad you tried and liked the recipe. In fact a big thanks to you mom who inspired you too cook. I bet this must have been the best dhokla recipe!!

Hi Ruchi, I just love your pictures and recipes.I have tried couple of them and they are amazing. Kurkuri bhindi is one of my favorite. Easy and super super yummy! I made this one on Monday and my family loved it. Fluffy, moist and delicious.It really came out well. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.

You are maintaining a great site. Tried it and a great success. Thanks for posting! This is a staple tea time appetizer in my house and I enjoyed your dhokla. Looking for khandavi recipe and many more. Great work and god bless!

I am an regular follower of your blog and have to admit that all of your recipes have ended up perfectly for me with successful results. Yesterday I tried your Dhokla recipe and it was another success for me. Accidentally I added 2 teaspoon of Eno powder and was worried but my dokhla was Purrrfect!! Thanks Ruchi, with this recipe success I have confidence in me that I can cook too! With Ruchiskitchen anybody can cook!!

THANK YOU, for such a lovely compliment! That’s so sweet of you Smita. 🙂 Glad you liked the recipe. I don’t think 1/2 a teaspoon would have made much difference in the recipe. Glad the dhokla recipe turned out great for you!!

Thank you Ruchi for maintaining such a nice site. Your recipes are explained very well and too the point. This recipe turned out great. Spongy and fluffy dhokla. I made it two times, in the first one I opened my cooker too soon so it was fluffy but sticky at the bottom. I made the second batch and it turned out great all fluffy and airy. I used a beater to beat my batter that added extra air in these dhoklas. Thanks for sharing.

Lovely recipe, dhokla was amazingly spongy and soft. Tried it after too much of thinking WHAT IF it failed. But I got it right. Enjoyed with tea and thanks dear for sharing such wonderful pictorial recipes. Well written and explained.

The best site which has helped me to cook yummy dishes. I love all your recipes and they are well written and well photographed.. superb.First time my dhokla came out really spongy & soft.It was very fluffy and next day tasted equally the same. Tried your other recipes too, very delicious, especially chicken keema recipe, hats off to your wonderful explanation.thanks and looking forward for many many more new recipes.

Have been thinking of commenting on your website for so long but couldn’t do it. I have tried your khaman dhokla so many times and every time its the best and I am enjoying all the good reviews from my family and friends. Thanks a lot! Love all your recipes, well lit up pictures(leaving out few of them), they are all so mind blowing! Very informative and helpful. Your noodles one is the best best one. I tried it today and came out just too delicious. Following you from now on.

Dear Ruchi,
I want to congratulate you for this wonderful website that has most of everything I look for. Every thing turns out so amazingly delicious that it makes me come back to your site even more.